Visual content will play a critical role in digital marketing in 2015. Unfortunately, many companies still use images that don’t properly support their brand.
What images should you use on your website? A recent infographic from Mike Gingerich of TabSite provides the following tips on selecting the right images:
- Avoid using shoddy stocked photos. Free images sources offer great selections, but you will need to sort through them carefully.
- Use images that highlight recent trends. Pictures of outdated clothing or technology suggest that your website isn’t relevant to most visitors.
- Make sure that the color of all images supports the message of the page. If you want to convey happy feelings on your page, then all images should have bright colors.
- Test watermarked images before paying for stock photos.
- Take your time looking for images that support your online brand.
Stock Image Resources
Buffer Social has a great list of free image sources to use. You can also also find free images here:
- Pixabay– Free stock images
- Little Visuals– Sends free weekly stock photos (registration required)
- Gif Maker– Place to make your own Gifs online
- Wordle– Word cloud generator
Internally my favorite picture tool is Canva, but I also recommend creating images using Infographic tools including:
For social posts and some content, you may also want to consider featuring quotes, which you can create using the following free tools:
Images should be a core part of every brand’s online marketing campaign. One study found that 67% of consumers place more weight on images than product information or ratings.